Dirigible headlight



May 1, 192s. 1,668,046

A. CAMINETTI, JR

DIRIGI BLE HEADLIGHT Filed June 5. 1926 2 Shams-Sheet l Fj 9.1 ,f7 if 3 d 16 n if' 41 2 G 935 Y g 52 .f 10 je' es 30. 8 n 19,'

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May l, 1928.

A. CAMINETTI, JR

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT Filed June 5. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May l, 1928.

PATENT oFFlcE.

ANTHONY CAMINETTI, JR., SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

DIRIGTBLE HEADLIGHT.

Application levd June 3,

My invention relates to dirigible handlights or searchlights of the type adapted for remote control, and constitutes an im provenient on the spotlight for which I have on file, under date of October 6th, 1925, Serial Number 60,857, a pending application for United Sta-tes Letters Patent.

The objects of the present invention are, in general, the same as those set forth in the above mentioned'application, namely to provide a single `operating `member by which the lamp housing may be moved or adjusted both horizontally and vertically, and which may be positioned Vat a `distance fromthe lamp. For example, my headlight, which is readily adaptable for use upon automobiles, is best mounted in front of the radiator, but is operated by a single handle within easy reach of the driver.

More particularly, however, the object of the present invention is' to provide a simple form of mechanism for transmitting motion fromV the operating rod or handle to the lamp housing. This improved mechanism not only occupies less space and is cheaper to manufacture than that described in my said co-pending application, but is less delicate and therefore more reliable Vin operation.

It should be understood that my headlight is adaptable to other uses and to other forms and arrangements of mounting than those described herein, and that the-form,` construction and arrangement of its several parts may be varied, within the limits of the claims hereto appended, without departing from lthe spirit of the invention as set forth in said claims.

With this in view a preferred embodiment ofmy invention will now be described fully with reference to the accompanyingdraw` ings, whereini Fig. 1 is a part sectional side elevation of my improved headlight and its supporting bracket.

Fig. 2 is a` plan view ofthe removable cover inclosing the supporting bearing.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of said bearing with the cover removed.

Fig. 4 is a central vertical section of the supporting and operating mechanism, taken on the lines 4 4 of Figs. l` and 5.

Fig. 5 is a part sectional side view of the operating mechanism, taken 'partly on the 1926. Serial No. 113,393.

line 5 5 of Fig.- 4, the supporting bracket and bearing being omitted.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 66 of Fig.` 4.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

Flg. 8 is a perspective view of the cam follower.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the slidable cam member.

b Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the locking Fig. 11 is a vertical section taken on the line 11--11 of Fig. 6.

\ Fig. 12 is adetailed view of a portion of thedflexible wire connecting member and its gui e.

Fig. 13 is an elevation of one of theiuniversal joints of the 'operating rod. i

Fig. 14 isa part sectional view of the operating handle and its mounting.

In the drawings, and referring for the moment to Fig. 1 thereof, the reference numeral 1 designates a lamp housing, which is provided with opposite bosses, one of which is shown at 2, by which it is mounted for vertical swinging movement or oscillation in a yoke or frame 3, said yoke being mounted for horizontal movement or oscillationupon a vertical axis on fixed bracket 4. The latter may be conveniently attached to the` filler spout of the radiator of an automobile by any suitable clamping means, not shown.

`A diagonal brace 5, secured by a suitable rod or shaft 8, which is understood to be` extended, in any suitable manner, as will be later described, to a position easily accessible to the driver, as for example upon the instrument board. This shaft is both rotatable and longitudinally movable By means ofV the mechanism presently to be described the lamp housing 1 is turned or oscillated, both tally.

horizontally and vertically, by the rotative movement of said rod, and either of said movements of the lamp housing is selected by the longitudinal movement of said rod.

The bracket 4 terminates at its forward end in a flat annularly hanged portion 9, Fig. 1, below which is a cylindrical casing 10, which, in effect, forms a part of said bracket. The shaft S is provided with a bearing at 11 in the rear wall of said casing. The bottom of said casing fits against an annular flange 3 formed upon the yoke 3, and provides a. bearing therefor. A hub 12, Figs. 1 and 4, is secured to the yoke 3 and rises therefrom centrally through the casing 10, asses freely through an a erture in the brac :et portion 9, and is provi ed upon its upper end with threads 13 upon which a nut or collar 14 is screwed, and locked in place by set screws 14', Figs. 1 and 3.V A suitable end thrust bearing 15, best formed by Va pair Vof fiat washers, as shown in Fig. 1, is provided between said collar and the bracket portion 9, said bearing supporting U the weight of the yoke 3 and lamp 1. A

cap 16, Figs. 1 and 2 held in place by a screw 17, encloses said bearing.

The shaft 8 carries a bevel pinion 18, Figs. 1, 5 and 6, through which it may slide longitudinally, and said pinion meshes with a horizontally disposed bevel gear 19 rotatably mounted about the hub 12 within the casing 10. This gear has formed vupon its lower surface a drum 20, Figs. 5 and 7, upon which is wound and secured, as by a set screw 20, a flexible wire 21, whose opposite end portions pas's through tubes or ducts 22, Figs. 1, 7 and 12, leading along the inner sides of the respective arms of the yoke 3, and are wound about and secured to the pivot bosses 2 of the lamp l in opposite relation, so that longitudinal movement of said wire causes the lamp to swing or oscillate vertically in the yoke 3. Therefore, by rotating the sha-ft 8 in one direction or the other, the lamp is moved up or down, provided the yoke 3 be held stationary; but if the lamp be held stationary in the yoke, then the same rotative movement ofthe shaft 8 rotates or oscillates said yoke about its bearing in the bracket 4, thereby turning the lamp horizon- To prevent vertical movement of the lamp, and to insure horizontal movement only, I provide a. slidable bolt 23, Figs. 1, 4 and 5, within the hub 12, whose lower end is adapted to engage an arcuate toothed rack 24 secured upon the top of the lamp housing 1. The bolt 23 is elevated, by the longitudi-V nal or sliding movement of the shaft 8, to lift it out of engagement with the rack 24, and when so elevated, a frictional binding is produced by means yof adjustable stop 36 acting in conjunction with other parts of the structure which acts as a brake to prevent the yoke 3 from turning horizontally. Thus when the shaft 8 is moved longitudinally inwardly, or toward the axis of the yoke, the bolt 23 is lowered into engagement with the rack 24 by means of a spring 35 hereinafter described, and holds the lamp housing from turning pivotall in a vertical plane so that rotation of sai shaft causes only horizontal turning of the yoke, and when said shaft ismoved outwardly, the bolt 23 is raised out of engagement with the rack 24, and the yoke 3 is frictionally held from turning in the bracket 4, so that rotation of the shaft causes only pivotal movement in a vertical plane of the lamp housing in said yoke.

For this pur se there is provided a horizontally slidab e cam member 25, Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 9, best formed as a yoke to surround the hub 12, and having a flat lower face to rest upon the rea-r 19. A swivel joint is provided at 26 between the cam member 25 and the shaft 8. It should be noted in this connection that the shaft 8 is preferably hexagonal, as shown in Fig. 11, to slide within the hub 18 of the bevel pinion 18.

The upper surface of the cam member 25 is formed with inclined faces 27, Figs. 5 and 9, upon which ride lugs 28 extendln from a follower member 29, Figs. 5, 6 an 8. The follower' member is formadas a rin surrounding the hub 12, and is provide with a. tongue 30 adapted to lie within'a slot 31 in the cam member to keep said follower from turning. A pin 32, extending transversely through the bolt 23 and through vertical slots 33 in the hub 12, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, rests upon the follower member' 29. A thrust yring 34 rests upon said pin 32, as shown in Figs. 4, fand 10, and a spring 35, Figs. 1 and 4, is interposed between said ring lun and the bracket portion 9 to force the bolt j i 23 downwardly. l

It will be seen that outward longitudinal movement of the shaft 8 by sliding the cam member 25 toward the left as viewed in Figs. 1 and 5, lifts the follower 29 and the bolt 23 so that said bolt disengages the rack 24. This movement lifts said bolt to bring its upper end firmly against an adjustable stop 36, Figs. 1 andr4, screwed into the upper end of the hub 12, and by so doing causes frictional binding between the horizontally rotatable parts of the mechanism and the stationary bracket members. This frictional binding, which can be regulated by adjusting the stop screw 36 up or down, is sutlicient to hold the yoke 3 from turning, so that rotation of the shaft- 8 and the gear 19 causes only vertical movement of the lamp housing.

When the shaft 8 is moved inwardly to the position shown in the drawings, the cam member 25 allows the bolt 23 to be lowered by its spring 35 into enga ement with the rack 24, thereby locking amp housing 1 against pivotal movement in a vertical plane, and at the same time releases the frictional binding above described, so that upon rotation of said shaft only horizontal turning of the yoke 3 is permitted. y l

Thus it will be seen that bothv the horizontal turning or oscillatory movement of the yoke 3, and the vertical oscillatory movement of the lamp housing 1 in said yoke, are produced by the same rotation of the shaft 8, and that either of said movements may be selected by the longitudinal movement of said shaft. Longitudinal movement of said shaft in one direction (inwardly) causes the lamp housing 1 to be locked by the bolt 23 against vertical movement, and in the other direction `(outwardly) it causes the yoke 3 to be frictionally held against turning or oscillatory movement, and at the same time the bolt 23 is released. v

TheV shaft 8 is connected by any suitable means, shown in part only, with a suitable handle within convenient reach of the driver; Thus for example, I have shown, in Fig. 14, a handle 37 projecting through the instrument board 38. In order to provide for the mountingl of said handle in various angular positions, as may be necessary in different models of automobiles, I provide a ball and socket support comprising a plate 39 adapted to be bolted to the instrument board 38, and having a socket 40 in which is carried a ball member 41. 'The stem 37 of the handle is rotatable and slidable in f said ball member, and its sliding movement therein is preferably limited and controlled by flanges 42 and 43 and a spring 44 posi- Y tioned between the latter ilange and the ball member. The stem 37 is connected with the shaft 8 by a rod y45, in Whichthere may be one or more universal joints, as shown at 46 in Fig. 13.

Reference is herein made to my coending applications, Ser. No. 60,857, file Oct. 6, 1925, and Ser. No. 145,826, filed November 2,1926, wherein there is claimed matter disclosed in this case. i

I claim 1. In a dirigible headlight, a fixed supporting bracket; an oscillatable frame mounted thereupon; a lamp housing mounted in said frame for oscillating movement in a plane substantially perpendicularA to the plane of movement of said frame; a rotatable and longitudinally movable operating member mounted in said bracket; connecting means between said member and said lamp housing, said connecting means being carried by said frame; means actuated by the longitudinal movement of said member for locking said housing against .movement in said frame to cause the latter to move with the rotation of said member; and means actuated by the longitudinal movement of said member for frictionally holding said frame Irotation of said shaft may cause either movement of said frame in said bracket or movement of said lamp housing` in saidl frame; and a transversely movable cam member straddling said hub and actuated by the lon'- gitudinal movement of said shaft to hold said frame stationary.

3. In a dirigible headlight, a fixed supporting bracket; an oscillatable frame mounted thereupon and provided with an axially disposed hub; a lamp housing carried by said frame for oscillating movement in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of movement of said frame; a rotatable and longitudinally movable shaft mounted in said bracket with its axis substantially transverse to the axis of said frame; connecting means between said shaft and said lamp housing, said connecting means being-carried in said frame whereby rotation of said shaft may cause either movement of said frame in said bracket or movement of said lamp housing in said frame; a transversely movable cam member straddling said hub and actuated by the longitudinal movement of said shaft in one direction to hold said frame stationary; and means actuated by the op osite movement of said cam member for hol ing the lamp housing against movement in said frame.

4. In a dirigible headlight, a fixed supporting' bracket; an oscillatable yoke mounted thereupon and provided with an axially disposed hub; a lamp housin carried between the arms of said yoke or oscillation in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of movement of said yoke; a rotatable and lon 'tudinally movable shaft mounted in said racket with its axis substantially transverse to the axis of said yoke; a pinion upon said shaft and adapted to rotate therewith; a gear meshin with said pinion and rotatably mounted a out said hub; flexible connecting members extending along the arms of said yoke between said gear and the lamp housing, whereby rotation of said gear may cause either movement of said yoke in I said bracket or movement of said lam housing in said yoke; a transversely mova le cam member straddling said hub and actuated by the longitudinal movement of said shaft in one direction `to hold said yoke stationary; and a slidable bolt within said hub, said bolt being actuated by the opposite movement of .said cam member to engage the lamp housing.

5. In a dirigible headlight, a fixed supporting bracket; an oscillatable yoke mounted thereupon and provided with an axially disposed hub; a lamp housing carried between the arms of said yoke for oscillation in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of movement of said yoke; a rotatable and longitudinally movable shaft mounted in said bracket with its axis substantially transverse to the axis of said yoke; connecting means between said shaft and said lamp housing, said means being carried by said yoke, whereby rotation of said shaft may cause either movement of said yoke in said bracket or movement of said lamp housing in said yoke; a transversely movable and non-rotatable cam member actuated by the longitudinal movement of said shaft; and a bolt slidable within said hub and actuated by the movement of said cam member in one direct-ion to hold said lamp housing stationary in said yoke and in the other` direction to hold said yoke stationary in said bracket.

6. In a dirigible headlight, a bracket fixed at one end, a yoke pivoted on a vertical axis and depending from the other end of said bracket, a lamp housing pivoted on a horizontal axis within said yoke, an operating member rotatable and longitudinally movable in said bracket, connecting means between said member and said housing oonstructed and adapted to move said yoke on said pivot when said member is rotated at one end of its longitudinal movement and to rot-ate said housin on said horizontal axis when said member 1s rotated at the other end of its longitudinal movement.

7. In a dirigible headli ht, a bracket fixed at one end, a yoke pivot on a vertical axis and depending from the other end of said bracket, a lamp housin nivoted on a horizontal axis within sai yoke, an o rating member rotatable and longitudine y movable in said bracket, connecting means between said member and said housing constructed and adapted to move said yoke on said pivot when said member is rotated at one end of its longitudinal movement and to rotate said housing on'said horizontal axis when said member is rotated at the other end ot' its longitudinal movement and holding means actuated by said longitudinal move# ment to hold the yoke stationary when the housing is moved and locking means actuated by longitudinal movement of said member in the opposite direction to lock said housing against movement when the yoke is moved by rot-ation of the member at the other end of said longitudinal movement.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ANTHONY CAMINETTI, Jn. 

